When Marnus Labuschagne was brought on to bowl medium-pace just before lunch on Day 2 in Sydney, former great Justin Langer was scathing.
With Joe Root bringing up a century and closing in on a 100-run partnership with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, Langer was particularly unimpressed with the decision to bowl Labuschagne, rather than turn to genuine all-rounder Beau Webster, who can bowl both medium-pace and off-spin when required.
“Beau Webster has bowled four overs looking to get through to the new ball, with Travis Head and another part timer in Marnus Labuschagne. If they’re going to go for this approach, I would have thought Webster at six foot seven might be more productive,” the former Australian coach said on Channel 7.
However, Langer was soon forced to eat his words, with Smith recklessly attempting to carve Labuschagne over the off side, and only succeeding in chipping a catch to deep cover.
“Well, what do I know?” Langer laughed as Labuschagne raced around the SCG in delight.
However, the former great quickly turned his attention to the manner of Smith’s dismissal.
“Not for the first time this series, Jamie Smith has played one of the dumbest shots you’ll ever see in Test cricket,” he said.
“Dumb cricket. Marnus Labuschagne doesn’t think so. He’s pumped. Look at him. It’s an important wicket for Australia in this Test.
“You should never be too proud to apologise. I’m apologising to Marnus Labuschagne. Well bowled, brilliant bowling, dumb batting.”
‘Deflating’: Green double disaster as Pom gets back-to-back lives
Having endured a torrid Day 1 with the ball at the SCG, Cameron Green’s luck appeared to be turning midway through the first session of Day 2.
After conceding 57 runs off just eight overs to begin the fifth Test, the under-fire all-rounder was given a gift to begin his third over on the second morning when England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith slapped an innocuous ball straight to Marnus Labuschagne at cover.
But as the Australians began to celebrate and Smith cursed his poor shot, a routine third umpire check would spell disaster, ruling Green had bowled a no ball.
“What a let off that is for Jamie Smith,” former England great Stuart Broad said on Channel 7.
“A horrible dismissal – a long half volley just chipped to cover.
“That is rather deflating for Cam Green. Things are just not going his way at the moment.”
The mistake continued a nightmare series for Green, with the Western Australian struggling with both bat and ball to raise scrutiny over his spot in the team – and things were about to get even worse.
The very next ball, Green extracted a thick edge out of Smith, only to see the ball sail in between wicketkeeper Alex Carey and first slip Beau Webster, with both leaving the catch for the other and seeing it run for four.
“It’s all going on!” commentator James Brayshaw cried on 7.
“Beau Webster normally so safe. not sure he got a line on it. He’s such a good first slipper, such a good catcher in general … when this goes past him, he has not moved.”
For Broad, Carey was more to blame for the chance gone begging than Webster.
“I wonder if this is Alex Carey’s catch,” he said.
“It’s gone quick. Smith flashed hard right in the middle. Very rarely do the does the first slip need to move towards the keeper.”
“Traditionally, no matter what, if Alex Carey’s catching that, first slip and Beau Webster in particular would be shadowing that and following, tracing the steps,” Brayshaw agreed.
“He’s there as a backup. But you just see in his face as the ball goes past – he’s genuinely shocked that he should have been in the game and be that he hasn’t seen it.”
Making the missed chance even harder to swallow was the absence of Labuschagne from the slips cordon, who pulled in two stunning one-handed catches while filling in for Steve Smith in Adelaide.
But the return of Webster in the team for Sydney saw Labuschagne pushed to cover once again.
“Marnus Labuschagne, who caught as well as you could possibly catch in the slips in Adelaide, can’t even get a look at the slips cordon,” Brayshaw said.